Jammu: The J&K government on Sunday, partially acceding to the demand of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and further easing restrictions, enhanced the ceiling of maximum gathering in banquet halls to “25 percent of the authorised capacity.”
However, this relaxation would be available to the banquet halls in “districts with positivity rate below 0.2 and weekly case load below 250.”
So far, the banquet halls in such districts could have a maximum gathering of 50 people.
Meanwhile, the government chose to maintain status-quo with regard to its guidelines, including those related to the educational institutions and night curfew. The schools, except for relaxations as provided for students of 12th and 10th classes, would continue to remain closed for on-site/in-person teaching.
Similarly, the night curfew would continue to “remain in force in all districts from 8 pm to 7 am but for those districts with positivity rate below 0.2 and weekly case load below 250, where it would be from 10 pm to 6 am.”
These new guidelines were issued this evening in an order by the Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, who is also the chairperson State Executive Committee (SEC) of J&K Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Jammu had been demanding an amendment in the ceiling, in case of banquet halls. The Chamber had appealed to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the Chief Secretary to allow the banquet halls to run with 50 percent capacity.
“The maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor or outdoor gathering shall be strictly restricted to 25. However, in banquet halls in districts with positivity rate below 0.2 and weekly case load below 250, gathering shall be permitted up to 25 percent of the authorised capacity, preferably in open spaces, for vaccinated persons or persons with verifiable RT-PCR or RAT not older than 72 hours. All District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police shall ensure compliance,” Mehta ordered.
He reiterated permission for “inter-state movement of passenger transport of SRTC for fully vaccinated persons or persons with verifiable RT-PCR not older than 72 hours or based on RAT on-spot with strict compliance with CAB.”
On the educational front, he permitted “limited in-person teaching of vaccinated students, not exceeding 50 percent on any given day, in Polytechnics and ITIs subject to consent of parents and students and all measures as per Covid related protocols.”
Similarly for coaching centres, there was no change in guidelines as Mehta ordered, “Coaching centres for Civil Services/Engineering/NEET shall be permitted with limited in-person teaching, for fully vaccinated staff and student, subject to condition that the Head of the centre shall ensure that the guidelines related to social distancing and Covid protocols are adhered to.”
All other coaching centres, except them (Coaching centres for Civil Services/Engineering/NEET) would continue to remain closed for onsite or in-person teaching.
Mehta reiterated that higher educational institutions would be permitted to commence limited in-person teaching subject to 100 percent vaccination of staff and students and specific permission of concerned Deputy Commissioners.
However, there would be no weekend curfew in any district.